Finally, after eight weeks of some excellent collaborative group work, students were ready to present their interdisciplinary projects. Many questions had been asked about the projects and the students were prepared to give their answers!
As a school that integrates Chinese and Western cultures, we always strive to bridge gaps between the wide-ranging humanities subjects available at the school. These subjects include history, geography, morality and law, Global Perspectives, English and Chinese. With this in mind, the Middle School team designed a project that encompassed aspects of all of these subjects, whilst keeping in mind the principle of “strengthening curriculum integration and emphasizing relevance” as proposed in the 2022 National Compulsory Education New Curriculum Plan.
The Humanities team in the Middle School division, in collaboration with the Global Perspectives and Chinese subject teams, carried out this interdisciplinary project with the theme of “Development, Trade, and Aid”. Aimed at seventh grade students and designed using curriculum objectives from the Global Perspectives framework, the project integrated teaching content from geography, history, morality and law, and Chinese subjects in the national curriculum. On the afternoon of April 13, a wonderful “Interdisciplinary demonstration lesson” was held.
Ms Irene Chen and Ms Aisling Cheallaigh led students through a review of the project research.
We visited the wonderful National Convention Center of the China International Import and Export Fair (Shanghai) as well as the Global Commodity Trade Hub on a fact-finding field trip.
After the trip, students created a project outcome display poster in groups of five.
The winners of a lucky draw presented their work in class, the presentations acting as catalysts for lively discussions!
After this, teachers gave presentations based on the questions raised by the students, focusing on common problem areas and possible solutions.
SUIS Qingpu Campus’ Primary, Middle and High School divisions have always carried out rich and distinctive educational activities. In addition, our outdoor education curriculum has gone from strength to strength in providing a wide range of activities by introducing education through exploration.
During this event, Ms Michelle Song, Executive Deputy-Head of Primary School, took the time to exchange ideas with visiting teachers on course content, case studies and reflection.
“Uncertainty” is a common theme of modern life. Political and economic uncertainty coupled with national and individual feelings of uncertainty mean that we face more and more difficult situations. To counter these feelings of uncertainty we need to have certain reserves of knowledge in various disciplines at our disposal. Not least of all, we must have the ability to adapt emotionally so that we can deal with the everyday complexities of life.
In this context, the emergence of ‘interdisciplinary projects’ is not accidental, but an inevitable outcome of the times we now live in. Cross-disciplinary research is the process of answering, solving, and handling problems in daily life, where problems are often broad, complex, and cannot be solved solely by a single discipline. As a result, we are forced to rely on the ability to use cross-disciplinary skills to solve the most practical of problems. During this interdisciplinary project, students were able to apply knowledge from at least two of the subjects involved and express their understanding of the relationship between trade, aid and personal needs. They worked collaboratively and harmoniously throughout the project and together produced some great work. They collaborated effectively and in their joint efforts ensured that their projects were not only successful but also useful experiences that will stand them in good stead for the future.